The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-02-10
HENRY WATTERSUN
Writes Pungent Letter, SCarlfying Pres
Ident Cleveland.
He Says Republicans are JubIIant and
Democrats Justly Indignant
A Caustic Arraign-
ment,
louisville rier.Journal. ]

the National Capital at this time with a
kindOf sorroWiDg amaZement. On
every hand encounter, among the Sen
atOrs, among the Representatives,
among the people, but one sentiment,
and that Of discomfort and fOrebO ing.
The RI publicans are jubilant; the Dem
ocrats are discouraged. The President
sits with his back upon the scene, and
but yesterday said to q friend who
thinks just as l do: II believe | have
done pretty we'll considering"
He Is the one man In Washington
who Is blind to the truth and deaf to
cOunsels. Even the Secretary Of State,
who has lived most of his life In q
peach blow vase three thousand miles
beyond the moon, Is not, l am told
not wholly lost to the real state Of the
case. But there Is no help for it. A man
as incapable of receiving Impressions
as of returning warmth, &C d sensible oil
criticism only to the point of resenting
II, the President sits In the White
House like wooden image, made to be
wOrshipped, not to be loved. To the
weaker members OF his Cabinet he has
impaired his dull self-sufficiency and
cod stOlidlty.
The most serVile, ss we'll as the sin
cerest form Of fisttery. is imitation; and
the "beggaTs on horseback" whom MIR
Cleveland, seeking to discover a new
political planet and to people 1t with
treasures Of his own, brought into being
and mounted, have caught the trick Of
their chief, and are equally industrious
and successful In neglecting great fol-
little things, and In seeing nothing
clearly except the regulations of the
Civil Service. They, too, "take more
joy In one Republican who has repented
and turned mugwump than In ninety
and nine Democrats who have never
gone astrsy."
The other evening, after dinner, when
the President met select party of DEM
ocTats, 1t was proposed to hold q mock
Cabinet meeting. Oddly this man Of
destiny, who has as little humOr as acu,
men, without thought of the trap which
was set to catch him, agreed to this.
turned loose upon him In serio comic
way, and gave him the kind Of talk the
Courier Journal has been giving him
the last Two months. He listened with
cOmplacency. Finally, when the last
speaker, one Of his own political family,
had put In metsphOrical knock down
right between the Executive eyes, he
closed them, and leaning back In his
chair and playing tattoo upon his
ample shirt front with his thumbs,
said with touch of offended
dignity: Really, gentlemen, can not
see that I am to blame for all this, or
how can mend itp" He then went on
to say that he would be glad to consult
with the Democrats Of the House and
Senate, but these, when. they came to
the White House to Introduce q
stranger or to indOrse an applicant, i'm
mediately went away again. They, he
proceeded to explain, had their work to
do, and he hal his, so there was no time
for consultation. There is not the least
doubt that he was perfectly honest In
this, as he is, l believe, in all things
else.
Is it not most melancholy, and almost
astounding, that ona who is by no
means destitute Of common sense and
native craft should be 80 densep
A near and old friend Of his said to
me not long ago.. "Of all the arid
natures / ever encountered, he Is the
hAObe 0AAOs AO bymp0VhIAOd WAVu hO-
body, and In the most serious affairs
trusts wholly and sOlely to fortune or
caprice" The author Of this descrip-
tiCn nurses no disappointment, was far
beyond the reach Of Presidential fear or
favor, and simply spoke In the spirit Of
an historian and philosopher.
This view Of the President being true,
he is rather to be pitied than censured.
In structures as l have made upon his
course / have been inspired by two pur-
pOses-the first to convey to him the real
opinion and feeling of the party that
elected him; the second to have these
Misunderstanding, II such they are, out
and done with before the advent Of the
period when we shall all be required to
60 to work and publicly re-elect him. l
preferred 10 do this publicly, because In
the very friendly intercourse l have had
with him have encountered the good
n8tured c0mplacency which is his dis
tinguishing characteristic, and which
all who approach him find wstchfully
on guard to invite the artifices of the
self-seeking and to repel the disinter-
ested.
have never been afraid of open deal
ing and plain speaking. In party, as In
private counsels, they clear the Rtmos-
phere and defeat conspiracies. l have
said nothing, written nothing, done
nothing, therefore, which will occasion
me the slightest embarrassment In sup
porting for second term, because four
more years of the present disappointing
order of things would still be preferable
to Republican restoration, and, as 1
never intend to stop telling the truth
until die, shall live In the blessed
hope that even the obstinate, indifferen.
tialism Of the Administration will ulti
mately receive Its impression and see
itself as others see 1t. AssUredly, If
know my own heart 1t has not one
shadow Of ill-will against the President
or any member of the Cabinet, for two
of whom at least entertain sentiments
Of affectiOnate regard. But truly be-
lieve they are wrecking us; that the
President is solely responsible for 1t,
net are busy helping him; and, while
! could hold my peace and leave "the
boys In the trenches" with no one to
speak to them, the Administration has
given small, II any, reason for the sac
rifice of that which is the business of
my life, for the journalist Is nothing II |
not vehicle of communication and in
telligence, extenuating much, but set
ting down nsught In malice.
"The boys In the trenches" will re.
member, If the Quartermasters and |
C0mmissaries about headquarters have
forgot, an event on the Confederate side
of our sectional war, which contains an
ever living lesson. During an entire
year Gen. BraxtOn Bragg was immOva
BILE In a certain line of military policy.
He wss equally rigid in his personality.
Like Mr.. Cleveland, he was obstinate
and nnrinhk Ha raaiakad all ramnn.